Injection (p181) says "This weapon or its ammunition can be filled with a drug, an injury poison, or a medicinal compound."
Could you theoretically use a serum (p225) in an injection weapon? Eg, Mk1 healing serum in a needler pistol?
Yes. The description of darts even mentions medics using this strategy to heal at a distance.
This could be interesting given how much more deadly poisons should be in this system.
How available/affordable are poisons?
Be very careful not to mix up your darts, wind up poisoning your allies/healing the enemy.
Be very careful not to mix up your darts, wind up poisoning your allies/healing the enemy.
"Honest mistake, I swear! The characters for "Serum" and "Poison" look really similar in Kasatha!"
The fact that these things exist is perfect for two homebrew hellknight orders I'm designing. This makes my life considerably easier.
This could be interesting given how much more deadly poisons should be in this system.
How available/affordable are poisons?
How are poisons more deadly in starfinder?
How are poisons more deadly in starfinder?This could be interesting given how much more deadly poisons should be in this system.
How available/affordable are poisons?
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I would argue that you can't use serums in the needle guns as they are not a "drug/medicinal/ or poison". Which has its own section separate from serums.
under the description of "dart ammunition" it specifically mentions syrum.
emphasis mine:
DARTS
These light metal shafts each have a pointed tip and a reservoir to hold toxins or other appropriate substances that are typically liquid or viscous. While most combatants rely on darts to deliver toxins to enemies, particularly desperate or overworked field medics sometimes employ darts to conveniently deliver antitoxins, healing serums, and other beneficial drugs across a crowded battlefield. In these cases, medics often practice to improve their aim to ensure that this strategy is effective when employed.
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I would argue that you can't use serums in the needle guns as they are not a "drug/medicinal/ or poison". Which has its own section separate from serums.under the description of "dart ammunition" it specifically mentions syrum.
emphasis mine:
DARTS
These light metal shafts each have a pointed tip and a reservoir to hold toxins or other appropriate substances that are typically liquid or viscous. While most combatants rely on darts to deliver toxins to enemies, particularly desperate or overworked field medics sometimes employ darts to conveniently deliver antitoxins, healing serums, and other beneficial drugs across a crowded battlefield. In these cases, medics often practice to improve their aim to ensure that this strategy is effective when employed.
Yes, this paragraph details the flavor context of usage, but is not the paragraph(s) that spells out the mechanics of how it works. It does list possibilities and even include future (post-CRB) possibilities.
Under page 181, section "Injection",
This weapon or its ammunition can be filled with a drug, an injury poison, or a medicinal compound. On a successful attack with the weapon (either the first attack if it’s a melee weapon or an attack with the relevant piece of ammunition if it’s a ranged weapon), the weapon automatically injects the target with the substance. Refilling the weapon with a new substance acts as reloading it and is a move action. Each different injectable material must be bought separately and can be used in any weapon with the injection special property. See page 231 for rules and prices for drugs, medicinals, and poisons."
RAW, you have to use something from the drugs, medicinals and poisons section.
Page 189, Injection glove references medicinals, but not serums as well.
Page 231, section "DRUGS, MEDICINALS, AND POISONS" states,
"The drugs, medicinals, and poisons appear by category on Table 7–34: Drugs, Medicinals, and Poisons and are detailed below. The table includes pricing for individual types of these items, and they all have negligible bulk. The rules for how drugs and poisons can affect a character can be found in Afflictions (see page 414)."
This doesn't say some or most of the drugs, medicinals and poisons. It states them as a complete category. 7-34 is your list of all CRB drugs, medical and poisons, which are the only things that can be used with the Injection special property.
You can't even make an argument that a serum is a medicinal for 2 reasons. First, it's not on the table. Second, the verbiage breaks down the 3 current categories of medicinals, none of which heal any hit points or statuses. Those would be a different category. Medicinals, just give you an increased chance of recovery from something.
One other word of caution. When you fire a projectile across the room at a high enough velocity to hit a small target, such as a Ysoki, from all the way across the room without any environmental penalties, such as gravity, crosswinds, etc even remotely being considered a factor, it's going to do damage when it hits. You still roll 1d4 damage, or whatever is appropriate, because someone still shot you with a projectile that impacted you with enough force to deliver it to you. Even if you home rule serums as allowed, you're throwing 1d4 dmg to deliver against 1d8 healing with a mk1 serum. You could very easily do more damage than healing.
Can you do it? Sure. You can do whatever you want. This isn't an organized play thread so you're not limited to RAW. You can do whatever you and your GM or you and your players consent to.
It is a fun tactic but I think it is one of those things you would not use until you start using the better healing serums. To make sure you are doing more healing than possible damage. At higher levels the damage it does would be pretty negligible compared to the healing.
As for cure poison and cure disease in combat if separated it could very well be a valid trade off for 1d4 points of damage to cure something that could be doing much more or much worse than that fast.
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I would probably rule in my games that you can use serums in the dart gun. Cause while RAW it may be technically not possible, I like the idea that you don't need to be a mystic with cure spells in order to be a healer. Having an Ana from overwatch like medic would be pretty a cool healer. Show those mystics that are a strong, magic independent medic.